Feelings
by PinkRangerV
Summary: Tenaya's not used to feelings. Summer's not used to THIS feeling. Can two people from opposite worlds really fall in love? And can getting lost occasionally be a good thing? Rating may go up.
1. Meeting

A\N: Tenaya's awesome, what can I say? Hot, smart, evil...hot...

...

Yeah, like all you guys (and a few girls) aren't staring at her the whole time too.

* * *

I am a robot.

I do not spare humans.

So can someone tell me why, exactly, I'm staring at a tied-up Yellow Ranger who, apparently, felt the need to leave her home city? Oh, right, because I'm lost. And this girl somehow got out here. Therefore, she should know the way back.

I'm an idiot.

"Yellow Ranger. Look at me." I order, standing above her.

She squints. "It would help if you weren't standing right in the sun, Tenaya. Anyway, I don't think I need to look at you for you to kill me."

I sigh and pull her up so she's sitting. "I'm not going to kill you." I pause. "Summer. I..."

Summer frowns.

"I'm lost."

Summer blinks.

"You need to get back to Corinth, I assume. So, lead me to Corinth. I'll know my way back then. Or at least I'll find a robot near there with a working GPS and fix mine."

Summer frowns again. "You're not going to attack."

"No. My GPS is connected to my sense of up and down. I can't attack if I'm having vertigo." I explain.

Summer considers.

I pick her up, a small thrill of power coursing through me, one unlike anything I've ever felt, caught between agression and an odd urge to hug her, she looks so frightened. "Tell me where Corinth is." I say, ignoring the thrill.

Summer sighs. "Untie me?"

She looks...I blink. What in the world is this feeling? I shake my head and untie her. "Lead the way, Summer."

Summer steels herself and heads off.

The city is ruined, a mess, and I can't help but wonder why any human would choose to live here. I know I wouldn't. Too post-apocalyptic...I smirk at that. Not that it is or anything.

Whatever. We have a truce.

That's enough...

For now.


	2. Moonlight

A\N: Aww, c'mon. You put it on favs, you can review. Pretty please? With some SummerTenaya on top...well, okay, I would've done that anyway. ;p I know this is short, sorry. Next one longer.

* * *

SUMMER

I. Hate. Tenaya.

I mean, how do you not hate somebody who's captured you, probably going to kill you, and only hasn't yet because they don't have a built-in GPS? And who's beautiful...

Oops.

I sigh. I like girls, okay, but _Tenaya_? You've got to be kidding me! The girl's psychotic! And anyway, she's not even human.

Right?

Tenaya's sitting at one end of a tunnel. It's concrete, so it survived the apocalypse. The full moon shines on both of us, but her eyes are shut, and her visor's off. She looks...

I shake my head. Bad thoughts, Summer.

"Why are you staring at me?"

I shrug and turn away. "No reason."

We're silent for a minute. Then Tenaya says, "Why do you bother with feelings? They're so bothersome. Why not give up and be rid of them?"

I smile. "Humans don't give up, Tenaya. There's always something good when you don't. And feelings are good."

"No, you don't give up. Any logical beings would have just died already quite a while ago." Tenaya says, with none of her usual bite. She glances at me, as if remembering I'm there. "Goodnight, Summer."

She shuts her eyes and just falls asleep. Just like that.

I sigh and wonder why I'm dumb enough to trust her, but I fall asleep anyway.


	3. Truth?

A\N: Okay, a better chappie. YAYNESS! I have reviews! :) And I'm giving you a longer chapter--consider it my thank-you.

* * *

TENAYA

"So what happened to the other Tenayas?"

I blink. "Pardon?"

"You're Tenaya 7, right?" We're pausing atop a mountian, trying to get our bearings, and in my case trying to get rid of this blasted vertigo. "So what happened to the other six Tenayas?" Summer continues. "Are they out there somewhere ready to kill us?"

"No." I consider how to phrase it while I continue working on my inner wiring. "I am the seventh attempt by Venjix to create a human-like general. The other six were terminated, save for the two boneheads I work with." There. The vertigo leaves, at least somewhat, and I look around. "Isn't Corinth that way?"

"No, I came here with Spencer. Follow this road." Summer explains. "It'll be about a week of traveling." She sighs. "I hate this place, you know."

"Because it's hot?" She's definitly sweating enough.

"No. Because...never mind." Summer sighs. "Let's go."

I follow her down the mountain, enjoying the feeling of the hard road under my feet instead of the soft sand. "You know, you asked me a personal question. Shouldn't I get to ask you one in return?"

"Not unless we're playing Truth or Dare." Summer says dryly.

I get that feeling again, the cursed emotion that makes me want nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and taste every inch of her...I am never thinking that again. She's my enemy.

She's really beautiful like that.

"Let's play Truth or Dare, then." I say. I need a distraction.

Summer looks like I've lost my head. "Are you serious?"

"I'm bored." I lie.

Summer sighs. "I am not playing Truth or Dare with you."

"What, afraid I'll embarass you?" I ask, smirking.

Summer considers, then nods. "Okay. Truth or Dare?"

"My turn first!" I say in my best 'whiny' tone, then laugh along with Summer. She's so funny when she laughs, as if her whole heart's in on the joke, bending over and shaking with laughter.

"Seriously, Truth or Dare?" Summer grins wickedly. I like that smile, Summer. "Or are you afraid you'll lose?"

"Dare." I say.

Summer considers. "I dare you to run all the way to the next boulder."

I smirk. "That's in Corinth."

Summer curses. "Okay, then, I dare you to...um..." She considers again, then grins wickedly. "Dare you to sing 'I'm a little teapot'. Loud."

I sigh. I should've chosen Truth. "I'm a little teapot..."

Summer cracks up. She doesn't stop laughing until I've finished the song. "Truth or Dare?" I shoot at her, already planning several very nasty dares to pay her back.

Summer considers. "Truth."

Well, then. "Why do you hate the desert?" I'm too curious to ask anything else.

Summer looks sad suddenly. "Spencer died here."

Oh. "Spencer was your father?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Close enough. My real dad just wants me to get married."

She looks so sad that I finally give in to my urge to hug her, quickly. She looks surprised, then says, "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Like I'll choose Dare after last time.

"Why do you keep staring at me?"


	4. Or Dare?

A\N: I like cliffies...I don't have to work so hard to start the next chapter! (Sorry, guys, I'm tired. Big reasons haven't kicked in yet.)

* * *

SUMMER

She stopped. Just stopped, right there in the desert.

Okay, so maybe that question was below the belt. Maybe, just maybe, I should have been listening to the tiny inkling in my head that said she probably stares at me for the same reason I stare at her.

But I need to know. I don't know why I need to know, I don't know what the point is when we're going to be leaving each other in a week, I just know that I need to know.

Please, Tenaya.

Please say you're just watching to be sure I don't escape, anything so that I can pretend I don't think you're the most beautiful woman on the planet, right down to your name.

Please say you like how I look.

Tenaya starts to move again, shaking her head. "You sure you want to know?"

"Wouldn't have asked if I hadn't been." I point out.

Tenaya considers.

"I don't know. I think...I think it's because Venjix programmed me to have feelings." She sighs, and I suddenly realize she's probably never actually talked to anyone before. Not this way, not opening her heart to someone else. I hate Venjix with a passion now for not letting her have that.

Tenaya doesn't notice that. "These feelings say that you're beautiful, Summer. They tell me that I should kiss you and hold you when you're tired. But logic says something different."

I look at the desert, the place where Spencer died, and I realize I'm crying slightly. "Logic might be right."

Tenaya's eyes look suspiciously shiny suddenly, but she nods. "Yes. I assumed so."

We walk in silence. At first I'm not sure how long the silence will last, but when I realize I'm marking time by the sun's progress, I have a sinking feeling it's not going to go away easily.

Finally the sun sets. We can't start walking again tonight, the moon's rising too late and we've been walking all day anyway. So we make camp. It's pretty easy, and therefore done in silence, again.

By the time Tenaya offers me food (I don't know how she found freeze-dried rations, and I don't care), I'm just ready to go to sleep. Maybe Tenaya'll feel like talking tomorrow, or maybe I will.

"You know," I offer slowly, "I think someone got paid to make this freeze-dried stuff taste nasty."

Tenaya grins suddenly. "Why do you think I don't eat?" She asks. "I mean, I don't actually need to, but I like it. Just not when everything tastes like that." She shrugs. "You'd think that 'gourmet' freeze-dried stuff would taste good. That's why I stole it. Guess it's lucky I did, hunh?"

"Yeah. Definitly." I smile. "Thanks, by the way."

"For what?"

I shrug. "Finding me. Not killing me. Giving me food and stuff without screwing my head up." I grin wickedly. "You know, you're actually pretty decent when you're away from the robots. Think that's a one-time thing?"

"I don't know." Tenaya admits. "Probably."

Then she smiles at me.

"So, it's my turn, right?"

I nod, frowning. Great. What now?

"Truth or Dare?" Tenaya asks.

Damn. Not saying Truth, she'll ask if I like her and I'm a crappy liar. And if I say Dare...

Well, do I have a choice?

"Dare." I sigh, admitting defeat.

Tenaya considers. "I dare you to kiss me."

I blink in surprise. Wasn't expecting that.

Tenaya shrugs. "I need to know something." She looks slightly shy. "Please, Summer?"

My body overrides my brain, and I walk over to her and gently kiss her. I don't intend for it to go farther than our lips, but she slides her tounge into her mouth and I moan, giving up and kissing her wholeheartedly.

We part, and Tenaya smiles.

"Maybe logic," She whispers, "Isn't always a good thing."

"No." I tell her. "It was."

We kiss again anyway.


	5. Now Is For Love

A\N: Two things to tell you.

1: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I never meant for this to be so late! I got a nasty cold along with my now-five-year-old (yayness!) sister. Anyway, better now.

2: St. Fang Of Boredom is an author you might not have heard of, but she's one of the best comedy writers I've run into. She's having family issues at the moment--her mom's going off of dialysis after ten years of it, and only has a week or two to live. So here's my idea (you can find it on my profile, too): Everyone who reads this, think of your favorite funny fic. Send it to her! You can PM her or send it to her email at fang_not_fnick yahoo . com. Let's try to help our fellow author out--the good karma can't hurt! ;)

On with the show!

* * *

TENAYA

I gaze at the starlight, Summer asleep on my chest, and wonder just what the hell I do now.

We kissed, we talked, we fell even deeper in love. The humanity in me says I can't abandon her, but the logical part of me reminds me that I'm sworn to serve Venjix. I could capture her, bring her back to my world, but what would Venjix do to her?

I can't let her be harmed. I want to protect her, want to be strong for her.

I think she wants to protect me too, but she faces the same delimma. So I'll solve it first. I want to spare her this worry.

I pause.

I..._want_ to help her? To spare a human pain? Love is more complex than I thought. I consider it again, judging the emotion inside me. Well, whatever it is, I like it.

I look down at Summer and, oh-so-hesitantly, kiss her forehead. She murmers in her sleep, smiles, and snuggles closer.

I could fly now. I could lift off on unreal wings and fly into the night sky, taking Summer with me, and all I'd ever need is her. Is this what she feels, too? How can I ask her that? Should I ask her that?

I brush her hair out of her face tenderly. In the morning, I'll ask, try to know. I don't think I'll mind if she doesn't feel like this, if it's not as strong for her, but I want her to feel this too. It's too beautiful for anyone not to feel.

I look up at the moonlight. It's only half-full, but in the desert, it's as bright as day, coating the sky and sand with beauty.

"Do you know what to do, Mother Moon?" I whisper, remembering the human children inside the dome who cheered that name when they saw the artifical sky glitch into night. "Do you know how I can save us both?"

An idea worms its way into my mind. We can stay in the desert.

No, that's suicide. The radiation, the heat, the _desert_. That's not...it's just not an option.

I sigh as I stroke Summer's hair again.

"What's wrong?"

I almost jump out of my skin. Summer jolts up, looks around, and relaxes, then rubs her eyes and yawns. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."

I nod. "It's okay." I hold out my arms and she snuggles into them willingly, both of us relaxing in the feel of a body next to ours. "Summer, I don't...I don't know what to do."

"Me either. I've been awake all night wondering." She admits. Then she kisses my neck, sending a flutter of love and longing down my spine. "But it's okay."

"How can it be okay if we don't know what to do?" I demand.

Summer smiles. "Because, Beautiful," She whispers gently, "I love you. That's enough."

I kiss her. Not because she's right, but because now isn't morning, now isn't when we reach the dome or when we have to make up our minds. Now is night.

Now is for love.


	6. It's All Over

A\N: Yeah...um...this chappie is where the rating goes up. I'll try to make it as tasteful as possible, but if it offends you, skip to the last part of the chappie. That's where I'll put the nonsexual plot. Enjoy!

* * *

SUMMER

Corinth City.

We're making camp just above it. It's not too far to walk, but you can't get in except for at dawn. Our unspoken rule remains--we talk about everything but what has to happen tomorrow.

I'm not sure if I want to break it.

We don't speak for a while, too absorbed in the intricate dance of our fingers and lips, the subtle politics of how far we can go, which touch for which patch of skin and the skill of eliciting a shudder or moan of pleasure from each other. Tenaya speaks first, her hands playing with my hair.

"Corinth won't accept me, will it. Not even if I changed sides for you."

I look up at her in surprise. "You thought a lot about this, didn't you?"

Tenaya nods. "You could come over to my side. But that would require you to give up any human contact, and without it, you'll go insane." She smiles and kisses my forehead. "Don't say no, I know you."

I laugh. "Yeah, you do." Tenaya arches an eyebrow playfully and slides her hand down my body daringly, making me moan. "I am _not_ complaining." I tell her.

Tenaya giggles, and I kiss her collarbone, letting my own hands roam over her. I love touching her--I want to hold her in my hands as she falls apart with pleasure. I want her to feel every kind of beauty there is. Tenaya catches my hands and pins them above me, kissing my lips.

When she pulls her head up, she sighs and lets her weight fall on me. She weighs less than you'd think, so little I can hardly feel her sometimes. "Anyway, there is no way for us to remain together, short of staying in the desert."

I consider. "That...that would be the worst of both worlds." I point out. "We'd never have anyone to talk to but each other."

Tenaya nods. "We could search for survivors. Join them. But...how can we continue like this?" She gestures. "We don't have food, water, anything."

I shake my head. "There has to be another way, Tenaya."

She kisses me. "No, love. There isn't. You need your people."

I kiss her back. "I don't want to leave you."

"I don't want to leave you either." She says, her lips brushing mine as she speaks. Then she pauses. "Sunshine?"

"Yeah, Beautiful?"

"I...I thought..." Tenaya says hesitantly, "Since we're never going to be able to do this again..." Her hand touches the top of my skirt.

I hesitate. I don't know what it'll be like, whether she'd be the same to be with as a human...hell, I don't even know how two _human_ girls do it. "Tenaya, I...I don't know how." I admit.

Tenaya laughs. "I can solve that." She says, tugging my shirt up.

I smile.

She's incredibly gentle, her fingers skillfully playing with my body, ignoring the fact that I must be a total klutz compared to her. When she touches my core, I gasp with pleasure.

"_That's_ how." Tenaya whispers. Her fingers move inside of me, and I moan, kissing her and trying to move my own fingers inside her, but she pushes them away. "No. You first."

It feels like hours of beautiful pleasure as she teases me, kisses and touches, making me moan and gasp, crying out her name. Finally stars blossom behind my eyes, and I shudder with joy. When I turn to her, I don't take no for an answer, I just kiss her silent. She's built the same way a human would be, and I can find the places on her that made me feel so good and play with them, if not as well as Tenaya does.

When we finally sleep, the moon's risen, a pale sliver that gives off almost no light. We hardly have enough energy to pull on clothes until a wandering spider reminds me that we're still in the desert, and many creatures find us a tasty snack and\or pincushion. Tenaya almost falls over laughing when I yelp.

I shove her, laughing myself, and she shoves me back, the two of us play-wrestling until I end up on top, kissing all the fight from both of us.

Tonight we sleep in each other's arms.

In my dreams, I walk into the garage. They stare in horror at me. I check--nope, not a naked-at-school dream or whatever they're called. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"What's on your arm?" Dillon asks.

I look at it. My arm's made of metal. "I don't know." I tell him. "It must have gotten there when I was in the desert. Dr. K, don't you know how to get it off?"

"She can't." Tenaya says, walking up behind me. "It came from me."

I turn and stare at her, and she gives me that smile again, the one where she raises an eyebrow and looks like she's asking just what I think I'm doing, but she can't help laughing while she's asking it. "Surprised to see me, lover?" She asks, pulling me into her arms.

"No." I push her away. "I can't have you anymore, Tenaya! Stop it! Let me go!"

"Then help me, Summer." Tenaya whispers, looking more scared then ever, and I see that she's falling apart. "Help me. _Help me!_"

My eyes fly open.

"Hel--" Tenaya's final scream rattles into nothing, and dark shapes loom over her corpse.

No. Oh my god, no. "Tenaya." I don't know who said that, I just want to run to her and help her, but all I can do is try to get up and wish my morpher weren't broken. God, if it weren't broken I wouldn't even be in this mess, I wouldn't have had to try to find a spare part in the damn desert.

One of the shapes gestures at me, and I jump to my feet, ready to fight. It reaches out, and I hit it, hard.

It catches my wrist. No, no, please no--

"Summer!" Dillon pulls off his helmet, smiling. "It's okay. It's just me."

"Don't worry, Summer." Ziggy adds earnestly. "It's over."

Tenaya's corpse stares at me from the ground.

"It's all over now."


	7. For Love

A\N: Um, sorry this is late...my muse vanished. Then I found The Trial of Lancelot, a wonderful song by Heather Dale. Then my muse came back! Yayness! :) So, enjoy!

* * *

TENAYA

_REBOOT COMPLETE_

_&RUN ALL PROGRAMS  
_

I'm...awake.

I blink a few times. Then I look around.

Gem and Gemma, the psychotic Rangers, sit on a table, playing a card game. Dr. K is doing something to my stomach. I glance down and see that I'm tied up. Sunshine, Summer, where are you, my love?

"You're awake." Dr. K says bluntly.

"Yes." Where is Summer? Oh, what I would give to ask that. I can't, though. I can't risk her. She has to be accepted back into the human city. "What happened to me?" Are there clues there?

"I'll tell you what happened!" Gem shouts happily, jumping off the table.

"We went out to look for Summer--" Gemma starts, jumping to stand beside her twin,

"--And we found you two! You were--"

"--Sleeping together, so we--"

"--Dragged you off her and beat your brains out!"

"Pow!" Gemma finishes, nearly laughing as she punches her fist into her palm. "K, why's the robot awake? Shouldn't she--"

"--Be dead?" Gem asks in sync.

"You two are psychotic." I inform them. "Utterly psych--"

_PAIN-light-terror-DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM RUNNING_

_DIAGNOSTIC PROGRAM COMPLETE_

_NO MAJOR ERRORS IN FUNCTIONALITY_

My eyes open again, and I realize I screamed.

Dr. K glares at me. "Tenaya 7, whatever your personal feelings about me or my Rangers, you will refrain from airing them, am I understood?"

"Yes." Which means nothing. I'll insult you however I want, you freak, because I answer to no one. No one but Venjix, anyway, but he created me. He's like my father. That's different--I owe you nothing, and I'll defy you to my dying breath. Well, metaphorically.

"Good." Dr. K, Dr. K. For such a genius, you missed my defiance. "You will answer my questions truthfully. If you lie or try to hide things, you'll be in even worse pain. Am I understood?"

"So you want to torture me?" I all but spit. "Alphabet Soup trained you well, Dr. K. You're a monster."

Dr. K presses a button--

--I return. I shut down the self-diagnostic program. I know what's wrong with me, it's this psycho and her twin friends. It's odd, but I can hear my own screams now.

They're frightening.

"How did you keep the Rangers from hearing my screams?" I ask conversationally. "I know it must at least bother Ziggy." Poor child. He's far too young for this. It's a pity I have to kill him.

Dr. K glares. "Stay on topic, Tenaya."

"Do I get a lollipop if I behave?" I snap, irritated and defiant and angry. Oh, my Sunshine, I want to find you and let you hold me and pretend nothing was ever wrong in the first place. Why did we ever try to leave the desert? I could have lived without GPS, really.

The pain returns, of course. This time Dr. K waits to be sure my defiance is gone before speaking. Don't bother, K, I'll never bow to you. "Tell me why you were in the desert."

"My GPS was malfunctioning. I got lost." The easiest answer is the truth.

Dr. K nods. "Summer said you protected her. Why?"

Summer, no, please don't tell them of our love. They'll kill you, my Sunshine, I can't live with that. "She knew the way back and I didn't. I couldn't afford to lose my map."

The pain surges through me, longer and fiercer. Gem and Gemma take over. "What were you doing--"

"--Holding her, then, liar?" They demand.

No.

They have me backed in a corner. They know I'm lying somehow. And I have to keep Summer safe. I can't live with the loss of my Sunshine because some pathetic humans were afraid of our love.

I'm doomed. These insane twins and this crazed doctor will torture me for as long as they can, then deactivate me and throw me aside. For the first time, I actually feel compassion for the citizens of Corinth. I know what death is.

Death is end. Death is losing Summer, death is losing everything. My own despair almost overwhelms me for a minute, before I realize what I said.

Death is losing Summer?

I've lost her. I never had her. But for now, I know she's safe. Maybe someday she'll be happy. That's enough.

Yes.

I can give up everything, my life, my sanity, everything, because this love doesn't just give me wings to fly over the desert. This love is iron inside me, and for Summer, I _will_ die, I will submit to this ordeal.

I look at the Twins, the rabid Doctor. Something in my eyes stops them.

"I will say this. Only this. Listen well."

They listen.

"I know I am going to die. I know you will kill me in the most barbaric way you can think of. But I will only tell you that I did not harm Summer. I never meant her harm. That's all." I smile. "I'm not saying anything else now."

They look at each other, then test it, but I don't mind.

For Summer, the pain almost feels good.

And for my Sunshine, for the nights I held her under the moon, for the love we share...

For that, I can--and will--die.


	8. Living After Death

A\N: Well, here we are at the end, folks...enjoy!

* * *

SUMMER

I cried myself to sleep. I do that a lot. I don't mind. When I do it, I dream of Tenaya.

I dream of the desert. Of the moonlight in Tenaya's hair. Of my lips on hers.

I want those dreams.

Tonight I woke up, though. I stare at the moon from my bed, trying to remember why I ever wanted to come to Corinth. It's not my home anymore, and I've lost everything I ever cared about because I did.

I need Tenaya. I need her here, to hold me, to hold her. I miss her so much. At least Dr. K hasn't noticed, much less Gem and Gemma, they've got a new project and they've been avoiding people.

I sigh and shut my eyes. Maybe I can sleep again. Maybe I can find my love in my dreams...

The door opens.

I freeze. Great, one of the boys. I don't want them to see me crying. "Scott, I'm fine." I protest.

"Good thing I'm not Scott, then."

No.

I sit up, and Tenaya smiles at me. Broken, covered in something close to blood, she still smiles, and I leap into her arms, almost unaware that I'm crying. She clings to me as if she never wants to let go, and I think she's crying, too.

"_Tenaya_..." I whisper. "I saw you _die_...Oh, Lord...how..?"

"I'm dead, Sunshine." She says gently, and I pull back.

"No. No, you're not a ghost, you can't be..." I beg.

Tenaya shakes her head. "That's not what I mean. Dr. K and the Twins tortured me." She smiles grimly. "I'm dying, Summer."

"How do I save you?" There has to be a way, I'm a Power Ranger, there's always a way.

Tenaya smiles oddly.

"There's a way, Tenaya, I can't...I can't lose you! Please..." The tears blur her, and I wipe them away, because I never want to see anything but her face, her beauty.

Tenaya cups my face in her hand. "I'm sorry."

I nearly scream aloud with despair. "Please! Tenaya, please, there has to be something--"

"There is." Tenaya says. "Take me outside. Out of these walls." She looks hesitant, crying again. "I don't...I don't want to die in Corinth, Sunshine. Please. For me."

There isn't a choice.

I take her to Dillon's car. It's fast enough. When I drive outside, the full moon shines down on us.

I head up to the ridge, the last place we were. When we get out, Tenaya smiles.

We don't speak, but we sit on the ridge, Tenaya laying with her head in my lap. I gently brush her hair from her face, basking in the feeling of being able to touch my love and knowing that I'll never get to again.

Tenaya smiles up at me, reaching up to caress my face. "My Sunshine." She whispers.

"I'm sorry." I tell her. "So sorry. I should have saved you. What...what did they..?"

Tenaya shakes her head. "No. Not you. It's bad enough I lived through it, I don't want you to have to know." She smiles dryly. "But those Twins? They aren't happy. Not really. Not unless they have someone to torture. Then they're truly at peace..."

I can't stop crying. "I love you, Tenaya. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone or anything." I whisper.

"And I love you." Tenaya whispers, then her face lights up. "Let's get married, Summer."

I laugh brokenly. "Because we have so many priests out here."

"I know the words." Tenaya says. She pulls something out of her pocket. "And I took these."

Two of my rings. Presents from my parents.

I nod. "Let's get married, then." I whisper to my dying lover.

Tenaya smiles. "Summer? Do you take me, Tenaya, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

I nod silently. I can't speak now. My heart is in my mouth.

"In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, until death do us part?"

"I do." I whisper, then speak my own words. "Tenaya? Do you take me, Summer, to be your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, until death do us part?"

"I do." Tenaya whispers. Then she slides a ring onto my finger. I slide one onto hers.

She sits up in my arms and we kiss. Passionately, lovingly, with all the love and longing and pain of a lifetime. When our lips part, Tenaya whispers, "Sunshine. My Sunshine. Should have...asked you sooner..."

"I love you." I tell her. "I love you, my...my wife." Oh my god, we're married...wonderful and painful and perfect. "I'm sorry." I tell Tenaya. "I should have saved you, Beautiful."

"You couldn't." Tenaya tells me. "You would have...died with me." She pauses. "Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise me...you'll live." Tenaya whispers. "That you won't die...with me. Promise."

"I promise." I tell her.

Tenaya smiles. "I love you, Sunshine." She laughs a little, wiping away my tears. "Don't cry. We'll meet again."

"I love you, Beautiful." I tell her, then I kiss her.

When our lips part, she's dead.

I shut her eyes. I want to scream, but I don't. Instead I pick her up, carrying her to a cave that's hidden in the ridge. I put her on a shelf in it, then I morph.

I'm superstrong in my morphed form, but I build a wall with smaller rocks, fitting them together so they won't crumble, making a coffin of stone for Tenaya. Then I inscribe her name with energy blasts.

Then I take my morpher off.

I walk away from my wife's grave, and look down at Corinth. You can't see it for the dome, but it sparkles like a galaxy with light.

I hate it.

Somewhere, there must be other humans. Other survivors. And I won't go back to Corinth. But I have to live, I promised Tenaya.

What if I found the survivors? Helped them become stronger, more powerful, not just to defeat Venjix, but so that when we finally win this war, Dr. K and the Twins aren't left in charge? Make sure that they can't do this again?

Yes. That's what I'll do.

For you, Tenaya. My Beautiful, my everything.

For you.


End file.
